


Party Girl

by TruFaith



Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: Comedy, F/F, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-28 16:30:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17790857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TruFaith/pseuds/TruFaith
Summary: “Nico!” Karolina practically squeals. “This is Nico!” she tells the guy as she slaps a hand on Nico’s arm. “I love Nico! What are you doing at a party, Nico? You don’t like people.” Karolina reaches over and boops her on the nose. Nico scrunches her eyebrows and swats at Karolina’s hand with a chuckle.“You’re drunk!” Nico says, loud enough to be heard over the booming bass of the music.In which Nico is at the party in episode one instead of Chase and Karolina doesn't take off her bracelet, she just gets drunk.





	Party Girl

**Author's Note:**

> Just a quick little fic for my Deanoru fam. Happy Valentine's Day guys!

Nico has no idea how she let herself get dragged to this stupid party.

 

Sarah, it turns out, is more convincing than Nico had given her credit for. And a total shit, it also turns out, as she’d abandoned Nico not five minutes after they arrived for some douchey looking guy named Chad for Christ’s sake. She takes out her phone to call a Lyft and as she waits for the app to load she spots Karolina Dean across the room. She lowers her phone and just watches the other girl for a moment. She seems drunk. And very unaware of the creepy predatory stare of the guy she’s talking to.

 

Nico rolls her eyes at herself and her stupid luck as she puts her phone away and starts across the room.

 

“Hey,” she says once she’s finally reached the pair.

 

“Nico!” Karolina practically squeals. “This is Nico!” she tells the guy as she slaps a hand on Nico’s arm. “I love Nico! What are you doing at a party, Nico? You don’t like people.” Karolina reaches over and boops her on the nose. Nico scrunches her eyebrows and swats at Karolina’s hand with a chuckle.

 

“You’re drunk!” Nico says, loud enough to be heard over the booming bass of the music.

 

“Yes.” Karolina says with another finger in Nico’s face. “And I was just telling my new friend Brent here,” she reaches over to pat the creepy guy on the shoulder, “that I’m starting to think I’m drunker than I meant to be.” Cue Brent’s creepy sleazeball grin.

 

“And we were actually just about to go dance so…” Brent puts a hand on Karolina’s back and Nico’s fists clench at the sight.

 

“No, no.” Karolina singsongs as she spins away from Brent’s touch to poke a finger in his chest instead. “I’m not dancing with any boys tonight!” she announces.

 

“Aw, come on babes, I thought we were hitting it off.”

 

“She said ‘no,’ Jockstrap.” Nico says, stepping between the two of them. He looks back and forth between them for a few seconds, considering his options.

 

“Fine, she’s not worth the trouble anyway.” He shrugs and walks off.

 

“Well that was rude.” Karolina says. “And he wondered why I wouldn’t dance with him. Boys are stupid.”

 

“Agreed,” Nico replies as she turns to face the other girl. She finds Karolina drunkenly smiling down at her and she can’t help but smile back as she laughs lightly.

 

“How many drinks have you had?”

 

“Two.” Karolina holds up a finger on each hand. Wow, either these drinks are strong or Karolina is exactly the good girl Gert makes her out to be. The music changes and Karolina’s eyes widen as she gasps.

 

“I love this song! Come on, let’s dance!”

 

“I thought you weren’t dancing tonight?”

 

“No, I’m not dancing with _boys_ tonight. Because boys are, like, icky. But girls… girls are _nice_ , ya know?” Nico laughs.

 

“Well, sorry to disappoint, but this girl doesn’t dance.”

 

“Are you suuuuure??” Karolina grabs Nico’s hands and holds them in the air between them as she starts dancing, head bobbing and hips swaying back and forth, and Nico finds herself grinning at the other girl again.

 

“As convincing as that argument is,” Nico half yells to be heard over the music and the new distance between them, “I’m think I’m gonna have to pass.”

 

“Your loss,” Karolina says as she releases Nico’s hands and spins and almost immediately loses her balance. She stumbles backward, arms flying and nearly hitting Nico in the face. As she begins to fall, Nico stops her with an arm around her waist and one of Karolina’s arms winds up draped across Nico’s shoulders. Nico finds herself staring into bright blue eyes, half mesmerized.

 

“Thanks,” Karolina breathes out and Nico feels it more than hears it.

 

“Yeah, um… no, no problem,” Nico manages and swallows against the sudden dryness in her throat. She helps Karolina regain her balance and suddenly feels too hot, too cramped in this crowded house. “I think I’m gonna head outside, get some air.”

 

“Oh. Ok.” Karolina looks almost disappointed and Nico feels a small grin tugging at her lips.

 

“Do you want to come with me?”

 

“Ok,” Karolina smiles brightly at her and Nico’s grin turns into a full-blown smile, despite her best intentions. They’re halfway to the front door when someone passes by with a tray of Jello shots.

 

“Oh my god I’m so thirsty!” Karolina half yells as she grabs two shots from the tray.

 

“Whoa, whoa, nope,” Nico grabs both shots out of Karolina’s hands before she can drink them.

 

“Nico, come on! They’re _so good_!”

 

“You’ll thank me in the morning, trust me.” Nico sits the shots on a nearby end table and grabs Karolina’s hand to continue leading her toward the door. They finally get out the front door and take a seat on the concrete steps, Karolina sitting a step lower to put them at the same height. Nico notices they’re still holding hands, but for some reason she can’t seem to make herself break the contact.

 

“It’s nice out here,” Karolina says and Nico hums in agreement. They both stare out at the stars for a while in comfortable silence. When Karolina speaks again her voice is quiet, almost shy. “Wanna know a secret?”

 

“Sure.”

 

“You’re kinda scary, Nico Minoru.”

 

“Yeah,” Nico says with a sigh, “I get that a lot.” Karolina laughs.

 

“No, not like ‘grrr scary’, like intindimate… imminitate…” Karolina pauses and takes a deep breath. “Intimidating.” She gives Nico a proud smile and Nico grins in response.

 

“Why do you say that?” Karolina just stares at her like it’s obvious.

 

“Because I like you, duh.” Karolina leans back, eyes wide. “Shit. I wasn’t supposed to say that.” She sighs and closes her eyes. “I’m gonna be really mad at me tomorrow.” Nico laughs quietly.

 

“I like you too, Karolina.” The words are out of Nico’s mouth before she can stop them. Karolina’s eyes snap open, confusion swimming through them with just the briefest flashes of hope.

 

“What?”

 

“Yeah, I mean,” she stalls. “We were friends once, right? It’s kinda hard to just turn that off.”

 

“Oh.” Karolina’s shoulders sag a bit as her eyes fall back to the steps and Nico shakes her head at her own cowardice.

 

“Anyway, you shouldn’t be intimidated by me. I’m really nothing special.” Karolina’s eyes snap back up to meet Nico’s.

 

“Don’t say that.” Nico finds herself lost in blue eyes again. “I think you’re the most special person I know.” Nico feels a shy grin tugging at the corner of her lips.

 

“Why?” she asks, her voice just above a whisper.

 

“Because I know you, Nico. And as much as you might try to hide behind all the dark makeup and the clothes, I still see you. And I…” Karolina takes a deep, steadying breath, “I think you’re beautiful.” She smiles and shrugs like she had no choice but to say it. Karolina starts to lean toward her, her eyes flitting back and forth between Nico’s and her lips. Nico feels her heart speed up and her hand get clammy where it rests in Karolina’s.

 

“You’re drunk,” Nico says and Karolina stops moving, her lips just inches away from Nico’s own. “We shouldn’t. _I_ shouldn’t.”

 

“Being drunk doesn’t change the fact that I’ve wanted to do this since freshman year.” Nico takes in a deep breath at the revelation and nervously licks at her lips. “It just… gives me the balls to actually do it.” Karolina smiles and Nico breathes out a quiet laugh. “I like you, Nico,” she repeats and Nico can feel her will bending to the other girl.

 

“I like you too, Karolina,” she whispers and crosses the last bit of space between them. At first it’s just a gentle pressure of Karolina’s lips on hers. Then suddenly mouths are open, tongues gliding together, and Nico finds herself breathless. She pulls back, gasping slightly.

 

“Whoa,” Nico breathes out, as she leans her forehead against Karolina’s.

 

“Yeah,” Karolina says, her eyes dancing all across Nico’s face. She takes a deep breath and smiles brightly at her and Nico can’t help but smile back.

 

“So? Freshman year, huh?” Karolina rolls her eyes and swats at Nico with her free hand.

 

“Shut up.” Nico laughs as Karolina leans down to rest her head on Nico’s shoulder. They sit in silence for a few moments, Karolina absentmindedly playing with the tips of Nico’s fingers before Karolina speaks again.

 

“Nico?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“If I forget this tomorrow, promise you’ll remind me?” Nico brings her other hand over to cover the one she’s holding.

 

“I promise,” she says gently, twisting to press a kiss to the top of Karolina’s head. “That reminds me, tomorrow I have to call Sarah and thank her for dragging me to this stupid party.” Karolina laughs quietly and threads her fingers through Nico’s.

 

“Ok, come on,” Nico says after another few moments with a squeeze to Karolina’s hand, “let’s get you home.” They stand and slowly walk down the sidewalk as Nico takes out her phone.

 

“Trying to take me home already, Minoru?” Nico drops her head to look at her phone as she feels the blush rise to her cheeks.

 

“Quiet you, I’m trying to be a gentleman here.”

 

For the next few minutes they talk about school and life until suddenly Karolina’s Lyft is pulling up in front of them.

 

“This is you,” Nico says quietly, almost regretting calling the car so soon.

 

“Thanks,” Karolina pauses by the car door. “You’re really sweet, you know that?”

 

“Must be one of the many qualities I try to hide behind all this dark makeup and clothes, huh?”

 

“Must be,” Karolina says with a smile as she leans down to bring her lips to Nico’s. The kiss is short and chaste and still leaves Nico a little woozy, like she’s the one with two Jello shots under her belt. Karolina smiles at her and finally opens the car door. “So um, I’ll see you around?”

 

“Yeah, I’ll call you. Tomorrow. To remind you, right?”

 

“Right.” They share a smile as Karolina settles into the car and Nico closes the door. As she watches the car pull away she thinks maybe Sarah was right, maybe parties aren’t so bad after all.


End file.
